Weft laying needle mechanism for axminster looms



July 26, 1949. H. A. WHlTlN 2,477,357

WEFT, LAYING NEEDLE MECHANISM AXMINSTER LOOMS Original Fild March 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 INVENTOR HERBERT 'A. WHITI'N ATTORNEY July 26, 1949. H. A. WHlTlN 7 I WEFT LAYING NEEDLE MECHANISM FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Original Filed March 26, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Plays INVENTOR HERBERT A. WH/TIN ATTORNEY Patented July 26, 1949 WEFT LAYING NEEDLE MECHANISM FOR AICMINSTER LOOMS 1 Herbert A. Whitin, Worcester, Mass assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application March 26, 1946, Serial No.

657,266. Divided and this application July 9, 1947, Serial No. 759,752

6 Claims. (01. 139-123) This is a division of my copending application Serial No. 657,266, filed Manch 26, 1946, now abandoned.

This invention relates to improvements in Axminster looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a flexible weft laying needle which can be driven by arotary actuator such as a sprocket wheel.

It is customary in Axminster looms to introduce the weft by means of an elongated needle which is guided by a needle rail extending from one side of the loom. This rail is about as long as the loom is wide and occupies an objectionably large amount of floor space. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a weft laying needle of flexible sheet metal provided with transverse ribs or the like which cooperate with a rotary actuator located at one side of the loom. The needle curves around the sprocket and then leads upwardly instead of laterally from the loom and for this reason the loom occupies considerably less floor space.

In the form of the invention shown herein after I utilize a flat strip of metal which may be crimpecl or otherwise provided with transverse ribs to cooperate with a sprocket wheel having a substantially cylindrical periphery provided with notches or the like which receive the ribs.

In an Axminster loom a needle ordinarily lays a double pick which is looped by a selvage shuttle at that side of the loom opposite the needle operating mechanism. Ordinarily a short interval of time must be provided to allow the selvage shuttle to pass through the loop of weft. It is another object of my present invention to provide a rotary actuator or sprocket so made that when its direction is reversed to retract the needle from the warp shed there will be a time lag before its teeth engage the transverse ribs of the needle sufiiciently long to permit the selvage shuttle to perform its weft locking operation.

2 Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged vertical sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 2,

Fig.6 is an enlarged view of the eye end of the needle, and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view indicating the manner in which reversal of the operating sprocketlprovides a dwell during the time of operation of the selvage shuttle.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the loom frame ID of an Axminster loom having the usual front and back tuft cutter blades II and I2 and also parts of the transfer mechanism which remove tube frames from the transporting chain. These latter parts include an arm I3, a tube frame I4, and a transporting With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a part of an Axminster loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1 showing the needle in the shed and the selvage shuttle performing its weft locking operation,

chain l5 moving around a pullover shaft l6 mounted as at on the loom frame. The loom lay l8 having a beat-up reed I9 is operated in the usual manner and is held in rear position during weft needle insertion and then beats forwardly or to the left as viewed in Fig. 1. The upper and lower warp sheds are indicated at W and W and the cloth at C.

At the left side of the loom as viewed in Fig. 2 there is a stationary race 20 for a selvage shuttle 2 I. operated by an arm 22 at the upper end of a vertical shaft 23. The latter has a lower arm 24 secured'thereto for attachment'to an operating rod 25. The rod 25 is reciprocated to rock the arm 22 first backwardly and then forwardly for each pick of the loom. Shuttle 2| carries the usual package of selvage locking weft not shown and has its rearward operating motion while the weft laying needle is in the warp shed.

The parts of the loom thus far described operate in their usual manner, the transfer arm |3 preferably having a motion every third pick of the loom and the lay beating up three times for a complete tuft forming operation.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide reciprocable rack rod 43 sliding in top and botsegments or groups 53, 54 a'rrd55 are.

tom guides 44 and 45, respectively, secured to the 7 side of the casing. The rack rod 43 is pivoted at its lower end to a connector rod 46 which is driven by a crank arm 41 on the forward end of a stub shaft 48 rotating in a fixed bearing: 4192 A bevel pinion 50- on the rearend of shaft 48--is in position for cooperation with groups of beveled gear teeth on a driving gear 52. Gear 5| turns continuously during 100m; operation and its three groups of teethindi catedr at horizontal part of the needle out of the warp shed and along surface and the vertical part of the needle will extend upwardly along the vertical guide surface 36 and then along any suitable guide T3;see Figs. I and 3. This. operation occursthree times for each complete tuft forming cycle of the loom.

secured to a loom shaft Fromthe foregoing it will be seen that I have 1 provided a simple form of weft needle for Ax- 'rrrinsteir loom made of a strip of flexible and preferably resilient metal provided with longitudinally spaced cross ribs for cooperation with a V driving sprocket; It will further be seen that The sprocket wheel 4! has a generally cylindrical periphery provided with cross grooves 6i lying between drivingteeth 62. The teeth are transverse or the periphery of the sprocket 4| andare substantiaiiy straightfioni side to side or the sprocket.

The needle designated at, N is niadepreferably of a strip of sheetmetal 6 5 which is normally fiat. and flexible and also preferably resilient. 'rhestrip is provided with cross ribs 66 struck therefrom and extendingtransversely thereof and spaced uniformly along the length of the needle N. These ribs 66 enter the grooves ofand cooperate with the teeth 62 to effect. movemerit of" the needle when the sprocket 4| is: turning. The left end or the needle as. shown. in Fig. 6' is-providedwith an eye element Hihavmg" a yam eye 1| for the Weft. F: The weft is:

derived from a stationary package" not shown and leads' through well-known guides to the eye If and thence to the seivage of the cloth C1 At the start of a pick the eye. Tl win he. at the right. end of the: loom and when the warp shedi is open and the lay is temporarily at rest. in rear position the rack rod is will be raised by bevel gear at and cause clockwise rotation of sprocket at as viewed in Fig- 9:, thereby causing the teeth 62 to engage the cross ribs'fie and'move the horizontal part1 oft'he needle toward the left. through the warp shed. A guide 12 supported. by the stand 30' may be providedto direct. the eye" element is! off the needle into. the warp shed;

Rotation o sprocket 415 will" continue untili the needle is fully inserted into the shed as shown.

in Fig. 2; The salvage shuttle II will then start on its backward motion to pass through the loop of filling F and rack rod 43 Will immediately starttoturn in the opposite direction. due to operation of the crank arms 41'. Due, however, to: the length of the; slots or grooves Bil" the teeth152 will not immediately engage ribs 66 and start of retraction of" the needle win be delayed during the first part of the. counter-clockwise turningmovement. of sprocket 41' as viewed in Fig. 3; 5 Duringthis slight delay the sewage Shuttie passes through the: loop of weft after which: the teeth 62' engage the cross ribs. 66 anti' novementor the needle to. the: right;.Fig. 2, will start- This relationshi is shown in Fig. 7', in which. the" fulllines indicate the position of the s rocket relatively to the: needle at'tl'iei end of the insertion' stroke of the needle during which the sprocket turns in the direction of arrow at. The sprocket then turns in the reverse direction. as indicated byairow'li' an d retraction of thexneedle" does not" start until the sprocket reaches the dotted-1 line position... Thereafter continued left, H 70' hand turning of" the sprocket 4i wilt move the the distance between adjacent teeth 66 on the sproeket is appreciably greater than the width oiarib measured longitudinally ofthe needle, and that relationship permits a dwell in the motion of the needle when the latter is cooperating with the selvage shuttle immediately prior to retraction of the needle and during the first part of the reverse motion of the sprocket. Although I" have shown the transverse ribs of the needle as struck integrally therefrom 1 do not necessarily to be limitedto this specific form of j The mechanism for operating the needle is not claimed herein; but is the subject matter of the parent application of which this is a division. Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made thereinby those skilled the art WithOllt departing from the spirit and scope of. the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

iii)" I; A: needle for an Axminster loom having a toothed rotarya'ctuator rotatable in opposite directions, the needle comprising an. elongated strip of resilient sheet metal having side edges and being continuous and unhiterrnpted from edge to edge, said strip' having transverse ribs by means of which the needle can be moved into and out of a warpshed and having a weft eye at one end thereof.

2'. In a weft laying needlefor an Axminster loom having arotary actuator having peripherally spaced recesses, said needle comprising an eiongated strip of resilient sheet metal having side edges and being continuous and uninterruptedi from edge to edge, said strip" having longitudinally spaced transverse ribs to enter said-recesses and cooperate with the actuator for the purpose'of moving the needle into and'out' of a warp shed, and weft eye at one end of said strip.

3. In a needle for an Axmin'ster loom having a. rotary actuator having peripherally spaced- 4;. A: needle for an ,Axminster loom having a toothed; rotary actuator rotatable in opposite directions;.the needle comprising a strip-of sheet resilient metal having side edges and being eontinuous and uninterrupted from edge to edge, said strip having struck therefrom longitudinally spaced'transverse integral ribs all of which lieon: one side, of saidneedlefor cooperation with the actuator.

5;.In. a Weft laying needle for, an Axminster loom having a reversible rotary actuator formed} 'with peripherally spaced grooves of a given width measured circumferentially of the actuator, said needle comprising an elongated strip of resilient sheet material having longitudinally spaced transverse ribs of less width measured lengthwise of the needle than said given width 01' said grooves, said ribs to enter said grooves and cooperate with the actuator for the purpose of moving the needle into and out of the warp shed, and produce a dwell in the motion or the needle when the actuator is reversed, and a weft eye member on one end of the needle.

6. In a weft laying needle for an Axminster loom having a reversible rotary actuator having teeth spaced apart a given distance circumferentially of the actuator, said needle comprising an elongated flexible strip formed with cross ribs spaced along the strip, the distance each cross rib extends lengthwise of said strip being less than said given distance, said ribs to cooperate with said teeth to move the needle into and out 6 of the warp shed and produce a dwell in the motion or the needle when the direction of turning of the actuator reverses.

HERBERT A. WHITIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following reierenloes are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name a Date 3 239,114 Reese Mar. 22, 1881 548,591 Rau Oct. 22. 1895 1,856,119 Tomkinson et a1. May 3, 1992 2,109,256 Potter Feb. 22, 1938 2,151,085 Dewas Mar. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 445,254 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1936 

